Barry Mittan RIP

This was posted on Facebook and thought I should share it on here. I haven't seen another thread about this. Very sad news.

This message from Jayne Mitten - just posted:
To all of our Facebook friends, thank you for your love and support Barry died today after a serious auto accident yesterday that left him with a catastrophic brain injury. He was declared brain dead today and removed from life support. He died peacefully surrounded by family and friends.

Click to expand...

Barry did a fabulous job of skating photos. I met him at the GWG in 2001 and he was a very nice and down to earth person. We were able to buy photos off him on the train travelling back into Brisbane city.

That is very sad. Back in the days when there weren't that many skating photos available online, his were some of the first. I ended up doing a skating website for a school project while in college and emailed him explaining I was broke, but working on the website. I asked if he could send me one of skater's pictures for free. He ended up emailing all of them to me, and some from a previous event that wasn't even listed -which was very nice of him. RIP

How awful. His photographs of skaters were some of my very favorite ones, and he was generous in sharing them around. He'll be very missed. (I wonder if USFSA will do something to recognize his passing? I think they should.)

What a talented man. He was so very kind to Kulik's Krew when we were first getting a website started way, way back - we asked him for photos of Ilia to start our library and he gave us permission to use everything he had. I will not forget how quickly he said "of course, yes." Generosity like that doesn't come along every day. I pray for him and his family.

This is really sad news. I chatted with Barry at almost every competition I've attended since 2000 or so - and he and my friend Rosaleen (who will be very sorry to hear this as well) got to know one another very well. So sorry for his family.

Another sad day for the figure skating photography world. Barry Mittan was a fixture for so many years in the skating world. His passion for the sport was reflected in his photography. We are very saddened to learn of his passing, and join the many people from across the skating world who have already paid tribute to him, and send our sincere condolences to his wife Jayne. We shall miss him, and his photographs, just as we missed Gerard Chataigneau and Mike Cassese at our first nationals without them.

Wow, I met him way back too. Like 1994. Horrible way to die. It was J. Barry Mittan, right? He basically owned the rights to every skating pic on the net. And he was a nice one. Just wanted every single one of his photos to have his name on it... My thoughts go out to his family, but really, they go out to Barry first and foremost. He was quite a legend way back when. He graced people with his talent and presence. Very sad news.

God, I'm going back 15 years, but didn't some skate mom at Sasha and Naomi's rink turn him in for photographing skaters? I think he stopped his passion for the perfect picture after that. I could be wrong, but Barry was always good with a story at Nationals. I think when some mother of a talentless daughter got no attention she turned him in to police.

I did a double take just now when bringing up GSD for the first time tonight and saw this sad news. In the space of only a few months, we've lost two of the men who for many of us gave us the greatest skating pictures of the last, at least, 30 years.

I remember him well! I didn't recognize the name until someone pointed out the correct spelling and mentioned JB. May he RIP. I know I bought photos from him on a few occasions and I believe he was always generous about allowing me to use his photos on my websites way back in the day.

That is very sad. Back in the days when there weren't that many skating photos available online, his were some of the first. I ended up doing a skating website for a school project while in college and emailed him explaining I was broke, but working on the website. I asked if he could send me one of skater's pictures for free. He ended up emailing all of them to me, and some from a previous event that wasn't even listed -which was very nice of him. RIP

Click to expand...

What a decent, classy guy he was. Thanks for sharing.

My heart and prayers go out to Mr. Mittan's loved ones and friends. His gifts will be sorely missed in the skating world.

I'm so sorry to hear this. He had some of the most gorgeous G&G photos, and I too remember contacting him about photos a long time ago and receiving a very kind response. Rest in peace, and all the best wishes to his family.

Thanks Sylvia for posting the link to his website. Some of those photos bring to mind some of the first and best figure skating photos I had ever seen, back when the internet was still in its infancy. Wonder if it's still possible to still order his photos; if so, may just order one of those DVDs with all the photos of a particular skater that is advertised on the site.